Jazz is my favorite style of music.

Jazz is my favorite style of music. My CD collection and my listening habits reflect a wide range of styles from various genres and stages of my life, but when I want to relax and listen to music that soothes my soul, I most often go to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock or Wes Montgomery. I spent 4 years of college studying jazz performance. During that time, I shunned my old rock CDs and I immersed myself in a steady diet of Bebop, Modal, Swing, and Contemporary jazz.
This Sunday, I got an opportunity to share a little bit of my passion for jazz by playing a little intro to “Amazing Grace” with some sweet alternate changes. My father’s leadership at my old church (as well as the ever-present, Jim Crumble who is probably the finest jazz drummer in Chattanooga) gives their services a distinct jazz flavor. As jazz musicians, we relished those little moments (preludes, offertories, solo sections) when we could improvise together. It is something I have deeply missed about my old church.
I even got my wife hooked on jazz. I guess that happens with some things when you get married; you absorb some of your spouse’s tastes. Sarah started her jazz odyssey* by listening to my recital recordings from college. Later, I began to introduce her to artists who I knew she would enjoy like Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall, Nora Jones, and Billie Holiday. Then she surprised me last Valentines Day by picking a CD to give me off of my Amazon wish list that was by a somewhat obscure (to non-jazz aficionados) jazz guitar player: Kenny Burrell’s “Midnight Blue.” Sarah has actually declared this recording to be one of her favorites despite the fact that it is completely instrumental jazz music. This is quite amazing to me considering the fact that once while we were dating Sarah almost killed the relationship by confessing that she secretly fantasized about being a famous country music singer. Fortunately, God had graciously brought me to a point in my sanctification where I would not have ended the relationship for something so insignificant.
This morning, I read an article on byFaith by William Edgar that got me all nostalgic about my college days and my old church’s jazz flavor. Check out the article if you get a chance.
* Gratuitous “Spinal Tap” reference.

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This entry was posted on February 19, 2007, 12:06 pm and is filed under Making Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0.
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Thanks for orchestrating the music for the Black History program; Jacob and I really liked the men’s ensemble song about the woman touching Jesus’ robe. Well done.
P.S. I had no idea Sarah ever aspired to be a country singer. I would have never guessed.

I about had a laughter/coughing fit reading that Sarah wanted to be a country music star! I’m not making fun, I’ve wanted to be almost every musician under the sun (and Dad probably still hopes I will become one) and my imagination is strong! I used to think that I had absorbed some sort of jazz knowlege from you and Dad, but now I know that I’m probably going to get passed up in knowledge by Sarah who will have more exposure.
I do have to say that the Musak at AVA (my part time job) does not even have a decent jazz station, I want to die!!! I actually switched it to Classical to numb my brain from the soft jazz syrup! ugh. Maybe “old country classics” will do, art+Johnny Cash= goood.